Gregory Mitchell; Bway & film actor/dancer
Hyfler/Rosner
Newsday and Playbill obituaries
Photo:
http://www.actorsequity.org/gypsyrobe/images/gregory_mitchell.jpg
Gregory Mitchell was a talented artist whose versatility as
a dancer and actor earned him a substantial career on
Broadway, in films and in television.
Mitchell, who was raised in Oceanside, collapsed on Nov. 11
after suffering a massive heart attack on stage at the John
F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington.,
D.C. His brother, Scott Mitchell, of Garden City, explained
that he received prompt medical attention from doctors in
the audience as well as stagehands. Gregory Mitchell
collapsed during a performance of "Forbidden Christmas or
the Doctor and the Patient," a play starring Mikhail
Baryshnikov, in which Mitchell played the role of an angel.
On Nov. 18 he died at the Washington Hospital Center.
Mitchell was 52.
Mitchell's brother recalled that he was "well-known for his
remarkably strong masculine presence" and that probably due
to this, "spent the overwhelming portion of his career
playing villains, tough guys and various other macho roles."
Mitchell's career of more than 30 years was about equally
divided between Broadway and the movies. His many Broadway
credits include "Man of La Mancha," "Victor/Victoria,"
"Phantom of the Opera" and "Chicago," to name a few. Among
the films he appeared in are "Chicago," "A Chorus Line,"
"Carlito's Way" and "Cradle Will Rock." He also made nearly
30 commercials. He appeared in numerous TV dramas, including
"Law & Order," and had recurring soap opera roles.
A Newsday story in 2001 about the durability of older
performers said of Mitchell, "His robust, powerful dancing
and dynamic presence have enlivened 'Steel Pier,' 'Kiss of
the Spider Woman,' ... and many others."
Born in Brooklyn the son of an ordained
minister/psychologist and a piano and voice teacher,
Mitchell's first stage role was in an amateur production of
"Bye Bye Birdie" when he was 10.
A 1969 graduate of Oceanside High School, he went on to
graduate in 1973 from The Juilliard School in Manhattan. He
won roles with the National Ballet of Canada and the Eliot
Feld Ballet.
About 20 years ago, while he was a member of the Eliot Feld
company, he met and married dancer Cheryl Jones. The couple,
who have two sons, were separated and a divorce was due to
become finalized a few days after he died, said his brother.
Mitchell lived in Montclair, N.J.
Scott Mitchell added that more important than any other of
his brother's accomplishments was "the way in which he
incorporated his Christian faith into every aspect of his
life."
Gregory Mitchell was the winner of two Gypsy Robe awards for
his Broadway stage roles. They honor performers for their
contributions to the legitimate theater. According to his
brother, Mitchell once explained the mystique of theater
this way: "There is nothing like what we do. Those who have
never been up on stage can't understand what it's like. It's
magic."
In addition to his brother, Gregory Mitchell is survived by
his sons, Garrett, 16, and Chase, 10, of Montclair; his
parents, Margaret and Patrick Mitchell of North Valley
Stream; and his partner, Jacquie Porter.
A memorial service was held Nov. 22 at Union Congregational
Church in Montclair followed by burial at Mount Hebron
Cemetery there.
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Gregory Mitchell, Broadway Dancer, Dead at 52
Playbill
Broadway actor Gregory Mitchell died Nov. 18 following a
heart attack he suffered days earlier while in mid
performance in a show at the Kennedy Center's Terrace
Theatre in Washington, D.C., according to The Washington
Post.
Mr. Mitchell collapsed Nov. 11 and died a week later at
Washington Hospital Center.
The Post reported that Mr. Mitchell, 52, collapsed in the
Mikhail Baryshnikov vehicle, Forbidden Christmas, or the
Doctor and the Patient, during the second of its
six-performance run. The show was stopped and a doctor in
the audience attended to him. He was reportedly taken to
George Washington University Hospital and later transferred
to Washington Hospital Center.
The rest of the tour has been canceled. Choreographer Luis
Perez stepped into the Kennedy Center run.
Mr. Mitchell was a Brooklyn native with varied Broadway
credits over the past 20 years. He most recently appeared in
the Broadway revival of Man of La Mancha, and had roles in
Steel Pier, Chicago, Chronicle of a Death Foretold, Kiss of
the Spider Woman, Man of La Mancha (1992), Aspects of Love
(he was also the dance captain), Dangerous Games (he was
also the fight captain), Song and Dance and Merlin.
The Post reported that Mitchell had joined the company of
Forbidden Christmas six weeks ago. The show premiered at the
Guthrie Theatre earlier this year.
In Forbidden Christmas, an original play by the
internationally acclaimed writer, director and visual artist
Rezo Gabriadze, Mr. Mitchell played an angel.
Baryshnikov Dance Foundation and David Eden Productions,
Ltd. called the work "part absurdist drama, part
fantasy-allegory." The five-character ensemble work featured
Mikhail Baryshnikov, Jon DeVries, Gregory Mitchell, Pilar
Witherspoon and Yvonne Woods.
"I remembered him from his early days with the Eliot Feld
company," Baryshnikov told The Post. "He had a bright and
lively personality, very outgoing. Then I saw him
occasionally on Broadway and in commercials." According to
The Post, Mr. Mitchell was performing a scene in which his
character attempts to save the Baryshnikov character, a
former sailor who has thrown himself into the sea.
"I thought he had tripped. I thought it was a joke. I
couldn't believe that it would happen that way," Baryshnikov
told the Post.
Mr. Mitchell also worked as a performer to help develop a
new biographical show focusing on the life and career of
Chita Rivera, featuring Rivera herself. They had appeared in
Merlin together and both had a connection as gypsies, though
they started in different decades.
Survivors include sons, Garrett, 16, and Chase, 10.
A memorial service is expected in New York City at a future
date.
Bob Feigel
wrote:
>Gregory Mitchell
Photo:
http://www.actorsequity.org/TheatreNews/gypsyrobe_manoflamancha_12-06-2002.html
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